Welcome to Loud & ClearSTL, the renamed and renewed blog for the Center for Hearing & Speech. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit agency that provides top quality speech and audiology services for individuals of all ages, regardless of one’s ability to pay. The blog is a tool we’re using to tell you who we are, what we do and how we do it. If you have a question, comment or concern about anything we post, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

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Friday, November 28, 2014

Builders, far right, work on the 2013 Gingerbread House at
River City Casino and Hotel

Building and
decorating a new home right before the holidays can be enough stress to send even the easiest going among us
straight to the eggnog punch. For Executive Pastry Chefs Eric Phillips and
Stephan Schubert, it’s weekend work, and no building permits are required.

The two
award-winning chefs led culinary arts teams that constructed two life-size
gingerbread houses, one for Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles and the
other for River City Casino and Hotel, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

It’s all for
a great cause.

The chefs,
Pinnacle Entertainment and iHeartMedia’s 103.3 KLOU are all working hard to
raise money to benefit the Center for Hearing & Speech’s Not So Silent
Night (NSSN) event.

In addition
to the smell of gingerbread wafting through the air, inside the houses are
‘roomy' dining tables for six. For a $25 reservation fee per person, you can
eat a pre-set three-course meal or order something off the regular menu. The
$25 reservation fee is donated directly to the Center to help ensure Not So
Silent Nights become reality for those with communications disorders.

The
‘architect’ of the homes is Cindy Collins, a member of the Center’s board of
directors and on air talent at 103.3 KLOU. A few years ago, she and her contact at Pinnacle Entertainment tossed around
ideas to raise money for the Center. Her contact came up with the idea of NSSN.
The first year Pinnacle properties
offered a turkey burger and donated money to the Center for each one sold.

“The second
year, River City’s Executive Chef John Johnson had the idea for the gingerbread
houses,” Collins said. “He’d always built a small one as a display and thought,
‘Why not max it out and let people dine inside?’ He teamed up with the
executive pastry chef and they built two amazing houses, one for each property,”
she said.

Last year
there was one house at River City Casino and Hotel.

This year, the
two NSSN gingerbread houses are open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday, November 24
to Wednesday, December 24.

Reservations
for dining at the Ameristar house can be made by calling 636-940-4454. Please
call 314-388-7625 for reservations at River City.

There will
be a life-size Gingerbread Man stationed outside both houses. Upload your
selfies with him to KLOU.com for a chance to win a $50 Ameristar or River City
restaurant gift certificate.

Although the
insides of both houses are completely edible, Collins asks patrons to “please
don’t … Santa is watching, you know!”

The Center
for Hearing & Speech is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that last year
donated $1.75 million in audiology, speech therapy and school screening
services to residents of the metropolitan St. Louis area and surrounding
communities.

It is a
proud member of the United Way, and a 2014 recipient of the Better Business
Bureau’s TORCH award. The awards are given to businesses and charities that
“demonstrate a commitment to customer service through exceptional standards for
ethical business practices.”

“For all of you who invest in the potential of others – thank
you,” said Orvin Kimbrough, President & CEO for United Way of Greater St.
Louis in his blog post. “Like you I want great things for our region. In the spirit that this region rallies to
mobilize resources every year through United Way for this community, I believe
we can rally and over time put in place the conditions that will change the
trajectory of a generation of young people.”

According to its website, the United Way serves more than three
million individuals in the St. Louis metropolitan area. More than 170
non-profits receive monies from the annual campaign.

The Center for Hearing & Speech received $388,951 from
United Way last year, said development director Jeff Tarr. “The Center has been
supported by the United Way of Greater St. Louis since 1947. Today, we are
still a proud member and the support we receive from the United Way allows the
Center to help thousands of St. Louisans of all ages in need every year. We are
extremely thankful for this vital assistance that allows the Center to fulfill
its mission!”

Founded in 1920, the Center is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit
organization that last year provided approximately $1.75 million in audiology,
speech therapy and school screening services to residents in the greater
metropolitan St. Louis area and surrounding communities. Since its inception,
its goal is to provide quality of life to children and adults with hearing and
speech deficits, regardless of one’s ability to pay.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Shaun Nordgaarden, left, and his family enjoy an ice skating
event with the Center's Young Friend's group.

Procrastinators
take note: you have less than 50 days to buy and wrap those Christmas presents,
make cookies and figure out those New Year’s resolutions.

If you’re a
young professional looking for some inspiration, Shaun Nordgaarden’s story may convince
you giving something back to the community is just as healthy as joining a gym.

Nordgaarden,
an MBA candidate at Washington University’s Olin School of Business, joined the
Center’s board of directors in 2012 through the school’s Board Fellow Program.

His life has
been personally touched by hearing loss. His son Chase was born with
Waardenburg’s Syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes early onset hearing
loss. He’s completely deaf in one ear.

As part of
an effort to increase community awareness of the Center, Nordaargen and four members
of his MBA project team created the Young Friends Group in summer 2013. They’ve
never looked back.

He’s
inviting young professionals throughout the metropolitan St. Louis region to
join up in support of a good cause.

“I would
encourage other young professionals to join an organization like the Center
because of the joy that you can receive from giving back to your community,” he
said.

His friends have
accompanied him to group events and have had a great time. “The connections and
friendships that you create help you grow your personal skills and network.”

Events in
which the group participates vary from formal meetings to wine & canvas painting,
volunteering for the Moonlight Ramble, pub nights and ice skating.

The Center’s
Young Friend’s Group is hosting a Christmas party Tuesday, December 2, from
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Center for Hearing & Speech, located at 9835
Manchester Road. There’s no charge to attend. Just RSVP to Martha Coleman, the Center’s communications
and volunteer manager, at 314-968-4710 or colemanm@chsstl.org

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Azra Ahmad has
joined the board of directors at the Center for Hearing & Speech.

"Azra's
speech pathology education and experience is a perfect fit for the Center and
fills a void in our Board matrix,” said the Center’s Executive Director Rita
Tintera. “She works directly, as an attorney, with the communities that the
Center has as our target populations; the lower income less advantaged.”

In addition
to having earned a master’s degree in speech/language pathology from Ithaca
College in Ithaca, New York, Ahmad has personal experience with communications
disorders.

“My son
stuttered when he was young and with intensive speech therapy he speaks
fluently now,” she said. “I recognize the importance of early intervention and
appreciate how vital communication is for the basic human interaction.”

Ahmad earned
a law degree from St. Louis University School of Law. She is an attorney with
Mid-America Law Practice LLC. She is
licensed to practice in Missouri and Illinois and is a member of the Missouri
Bar Association. She helped create the South Asian Bar Association of
Metropolitan St. Louis and Wealth Counsel.

In addition
to working in a busy practice, she provides legal consults to members of a
local civil rights group and has been involved with the Missouri Bar’s Read Across America program.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Dr. Rebecca Frazier, front row, gathers with area audiologists,
audiology students and a client at the October Give Kids A Smile
biannual dental health fair at St. Louis University.

Give Kids A Smile (GKAS), a non-profit organization that organizes biannual dental health fairs for area children who live at or below the *federal poverty level, sponsored a clinic at St. Louis University (SLU) in late October.

The Center for Hearing & Speech pitched in to give the
kids and their families an extra reason to smile.

In addition to full-service dental care, children were able
to receive audiology services to detect hearing disorders.

Dr. Rebecca Frazier, Au.D., CCC-A, chief audiologist at the
Center for Hearing & Speech, along with a team of area audiologists screened 186 children during the two-day event, said Joan Allen, GKAS Executive
Director.

Dr. Frazier has been providing audiology services at GKAS
clinics since 2008.

“I choose to go to the GKAS clinics because it is always so
wonderful to help young people,” Dr. Frazier said. "I have a soft spot for the kids who
don’t have access to our services on a regular basis. It just feels good to help,” she said.

Dr. Frazier serves as volunteer director of the audiology
clinic. Her job is to round up area audiologists and audiology students, plus their
equipment, to help out at the two-day event.“We have some of the most amazing
audiologists in town who give of their time and talent to serve these wonderful
young people,” she said.

The total value of audiology services Dr. Frazier and her
team donated to GKAS was $71,000, Allen said. “We are sincerely thankful for their skills and generosity.”

The next GKAS clinic takes place Friday, February 20 and
Saturday, February 21, 2015 at SLU. The appointment lines open on December 1.Please call GKAS at 636-397-6453 for more
information.

The Center for Hearing & Speech is a 501 (c) 3
non-profit organization that last year provided $1.75 million in audiology,
school screening and speech/language therapy services to residents of
metropolitan St. Louis and surrounding areas.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Greater St. Louis Health Foundation has awarded $10,550
to the audiology program of the Center for Hearing & Speech.

The grant will help fund the project, “Audiology for Low and
Middle-Income Adults.” It will be used
to provide hearing assessments, treatment and follow up care for hearing loss
to 10 low- and middle- income adults ages 21 and older who would otherwise not
be able to pay for the services.

The Center’s new partnership in north St. Louis City at the
Grace Hill Murphy O’Fallon Health Center will play a role in this program,
allowing the Center to continue offering audiology services to a community in
need.

“Left untreated, hearing loss can get worse, become a source
of frustration or misunderstanding, severely limit social interactions, cause
depression and even challenge long-term independence,” said the Center’s
Executive Director Rita Tintera. “People with hearing loss are also more likely
to be victims of crime.”

Lack of transportation and costs for services may prevent
low- to middle-income individuals from seeking care for a hearing impairment.

The average hearing aid costs about $1,400, said Dr. Rebecca
Frazier, Au.D., CCC-A, Chief Audiologist at the Center. Fitting both ears costs around $2,800 and can
run as much as $5,600.

Although some people can afford to private pay for hearing
aids, many can’t, Dr. Frazier said. “We exist to help people who can’t afford
these prices. We offer our services at a
price that’s more in line with what they can pay.”

The project will also track and measure how better hearing
improves the quality of life, prevents or improves communications disabilities
and helps improve any social isolation that participants may have
experienced.

Last year, the Center served 1,571 audiology clients, 61
percent of whom received financial scholarships. The Center also provided 613 hearing aids to
clients, 86 percent of whom received a financial scholarship.

Founded
in 1920, the Center for Hearing & Speech provided approximately $1.75 million
in audiology, speech and school screening services to residents of metropolitan
St. Louis and surrounding communities in 2013.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Gabriel E. Wilson has joined the board of directors for the
Center for Hearing & Speech.

“We are thrilled to have Gabe lend his expertise to benefit
the Center. He not only brings a unique
set of professional skills, but he has a personal passionate connection to our
mission,” said Rita Tintera, Executive Director.

Wilson’s personal passionate connection to the Center is
very much a part of who he is. His
youngest brother Seth is unable to speak. “I’ve struggled with hearing my whole life and just recently got hearing
aids,” he said.

Since 2004, Wilson has worked at Edward Jones. He began his career reengaging with inactive
clients, and spent two years as a business development officer in the Edward
Jones Trust Company. In this role, he helped financial advisors and their
clients understand the Trust Company and how it could benefit them in estate/legacy
planning.

During his 10-year career he has managed multi-million
dollar client accounts and currently serves as Senior Case Manager in the
Client Consultation Group.

A native of Jefferson City, Wilson attended Southeast
Missouri State University from 1997 to 1998. During this time he earned the
John Wiseman Academic Scholarship Award, played Division I-AA football, was a
member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and was a member of the National Dean’s List.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in
2002 from the University of Missouri- Columbia.

Wilson’s wife, Michelle, is an occupational therapist in a
skilled nursing facility. “I’m
incredibly proud of the work she does and the difference she makes,” he
says.

The couple has a two-year-old
daughter, Emma, and is expecting their second child, a boy, on Christmas Eve.

Wilson enjoys spending time with Emma and walking Molly, his
yellow Lab. “Before those two arrived I used to play golf,” he quipped.